Lori spent over 15 years leading corporate marketing and communications divisions in the financial services, hospitality and franchise restaurant sectors.
As Director of Target Marketing for the Hampton Hotels brand of Hilton Hotels Corporation, Lori managed promotional, direct and Web marketing, as well as custom publishing, for the brand's franchise system. In her role as Vice President of Employee Communications and Development for First Horizon National Corporation, she managed the corporation's internal culture initiatives, communications, and employee recognition programs. Other positions held include Sr. Communications Director/Corporate Editor for TCBY Enterprises, Inc., and Vice President of Marketing for First National Banking Company.
Lori is a founding sponsor and member of the Board of Directors for LaunchMemphis -- an organization committed to developing an entrepreneurial community in Memphis comprised of investors, entrepreneurs and local organizations. In addition, Lori is on the Board of Directors of the Sales and Marketing Society of the Mid-South and on the Advisory Board for the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County.
She is a sought-after speaker in the Memphis area, delivering sales and marketing keynote addresses and workshops to organizations like: the Memphis Chapter of the American Advertising Federation, the Sales & Marketing Society of the Mid-South, LaunchMemphis, EmergeMemphis, the Memphis Regional Chamber, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
Lori holds a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in addition to having completed the University of Colorado's School of Bank Marketing and Management. She is the recipient of numerous industry awards including local and district Addy's, Communicator awards, and a Telly. She received recognition as one of the Memphis Business Journal's "Top 40 Under 40" recipients in 2009. Lori also served as a contributing ghost writer for the renowned "Complete Idiot's Guide to Guerilla Marketing."
Beyond her passions for marketing and dogs of all shapes and sizes, Lori is an avid traveler, runner and foodie.

Lessons learned from $800M cookie franchise

Posted Saturday, April 18, 2015, at 7:44 PM

I knew from the age of 7 that marketing was my destiny as I embarked on my first moneymaking venture, but I hadn't really reflected, until recently, on the combination of forces that in all likelihood nudged me down that path.

My father was the consummate salesman and leader with the uncanny ability to read people and innately know what made them tick. He was gifted at the art of persuasion and a strong influence on my chosen profession. But there were other factors.

As most girls my age, I was involved in Girl Scouts. The outdoor activities were a bit lost on me -- having always preferred the comforts of air conditioning -- but where I connected most was the annual cookie sale.

It is where I learned about sales -- the old-fashioned door-to-door kind. It taught me to handle rejection and persevere. I learned how to tailor my pitch and thrived on the competition within my troop. And it's where I learned some important marketing fundamentals that still apply today.

The Law of Supply and Demand: Limit your supply of a new, high-demand product, and both interest and desire rise. The Girl Scouts rarely change their product formula, but they limit cookie sales to a roughly eight-week "cookie season" creating pent-up demand that causes many a Thin Mint addict to bulk purchase and freeze for future use. You know who you are.

Nostalgia Sells: Girl Scout cookies have been around in some form for nearly a century, and whether you or someone in your family sold them or bought them, for many Americans, that feeling of nostalgia still exists. And nostalgia sells. It's why you rarely see a Girl Scout cookie flavor discontinued and why the organization's sales and marketing strategies are intentionally reminiscent of a forgone time.

Location, Location, Location: The Girl Scouts organization teaches the importance of location. Setting up shop from your own driveway generally garners mediocre results at best, but selling them on a college campus around lunchtime is golden.

With many a scout just beginning to earn an allowance, purchasing power is enticing. The Girl Scouts tap into this desire for financial freedom by rewarding scouts selling cookies with merchandise. More sales equals better merchandise.

While you might cringe in thinking of the Girl Scouts as the masterminds behind an $800 million cookie franchise, see it for the positive nonprofit organization in which it is. The Girl Scouts are developing a lifetime of skills and confidence in young girls, and creating future business professionals, sales executives, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Find more advice at www.redrovercompany.com. You can follow RedRover on Twitter (@redrovercompany and @loriturner) and Facebook (facebook.com/redrovercompany).